Fabriksstadt 1939

Karl Wiener made this pastel drawing of Fabriksstadt with a kind of feverish intensity. Look at the marks, how they build up the image, a purple factory against a yellow sky. I wonder what it was like for him, making this. Did he start with the sun, that red burst of energy, and then let the city emerge below? I can almost feel the pastel in my own hand, layering color upon color, searching for the right form. The buildings are angular, almost menacing, but there’s also something playful about the colors. It reminds me a little of Lyonel Feininger, that early expressionist, with a dystopian edge. Artists, like Karl, are in an ongoing conversation, building on what came before and pushing into something new. I feel the energy here, a restless searching, and I'm inspired to pick up my own pastels and join the conversation.